The project is being fast-tracked at DreamWorks and is set to start production early next year, with Act of Valor director Scott Waugh already hired.
The screenplay is being developed by brothers George (She’s Out of My League) and John Gatins (Real Steel) and is based on the Need for Speed series, but not on any individual game.
Its creators hope that the new movie will be popular enough to spawn a series of sequels, just like the similarly-themed Fast and Furious franchise, which will spawn its own sixth sequel in May of next year.
As for the Need For Speed video game series, its publisher, Electronic Arts, is still churning out new versions
Since the release of the first game almost 20 years ago, the series has sold more than 140 million units worldwide, generating an estimated $4 billion in retail revenue. And Electronic Arts shows no signs of slowing down the roll out of new releases. The next installment of the franchise, Need For Speed Most Wanted, goes on sale nationwide on October 30.